Same Auld Lang Syne
by asesina
Summary: Will Schuester only ever regretted one thing. Bittersweet little Christmas fic.


Same Old Lang Syne by asesina

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee.

Summary: Will only ever regretted one thing. Based on the sappy Christmas song of the same name. Wemma.

I hope you like it!

_December 24, 2015_

Will Schuester flipped on the radio and tried to keep his focus on the road as he turned the dial, searching in vain for actual Christmas music.

Most of the stations that he passed were broadcasting obnoxiously loud commercials that advertised last-minute savings at Zales and Best Buy.

Will scoffed and turned the dial counterclockwise until he came to 94.3.

They were playing N Sync's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays", and Will's hand rested on the dial for a moment. He grinned despite himself and cranked up the volume as his thoughts drifted back to 1998.

He was just 24 years old then, fresh out of college and entering his second year of teaching at William McKinley High School.

As he listened to N Sync's perfect harmonizing, Will couldn't help but think of the graduating class of 2012.

They were members of the class that had brought New Directions back to life, ultimately culminating with their win at Nationals in New York three years ago.

"_Three years_? Where has the time gone?" Will wondered as he pressed on the gas and headed towards Ray's Supermarket in downtown Lima.

He squinted hard in the afternoon light. When the streets were lined with glittering snow banks and the sky was a sharp, pale blue, it was difficult to focus on the road. Everything was beautiful and bright, but it could be a hazardous optical illusion instead of a winter wonderland.

Will felt in his pocket for the shopping list that he had painstakingly scribbled before leaving home.

He finally procured the coveted list as he was pulling into the parking lot at Ray's.

Will was dismayed to see that the lot was extremely crowded.

"Of course, it's Christmas Eve!" Will mused aloud. He flicked off the radio and maneuvered into a narrow spot that was nestled between two frost-covered Range Rovers.

Will pulled the keys from the ignition and dropped them into his pocket. He opened the driver's side door slowly in an attempt to avoid dinging the Range Rover. He smiled when he saw that the car was littered with stickers, each circle an acronym for a place that the driver had visited.

He could pick out Aspen, Outer Banks, and Long Beach Island.

Will smiled wistfully as he realized that he had only traveled out of state to participate in Glee competitions over the past few years.

"Have I really become that predictable?" he wondered.

Will shivered and pulled his scarf tightly around his neck as he headed towards the store.

Winter in Ohio was as predictable as he was. The precipitation varied between snow, sleet, and rain, but it was always pretty damn cold either way.

The trip to the store's automatic doors felt like a mini marathon. By the time he was inside, Will could have sworn that his fingers and nose were already frostbitten.

He glanced down at the list that was wadded up in his palm and attempted to make sense of his scribbles.

"Okay, so we still need egg nog, cookies, juice, and fruit cake," he said, making a face at the last item.

He never did get the appeal of stale cake that was studded with candied fruit, but his Aunt Helen loved the stuff.

Will smiled to himself at the thought of his family. They were probably already gathering at his parents' home in Kenton, and he would bet his Christmas bonus check that his Uncle Stephen was already singing drunken renditions of "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" as Aunt Helen rolled her eyes.

He shook himself from his reverie and made his way to the bakery aisle.

The small store was packed with last minute shoppers, and Will had to employ some dance moves reminiscent of Michael Jackson's to avoid colliding with a woman and her three children.

He mumbled a quick apology and turned his head away sheepishly when he saw her scowling. He side-stepped past a man carrying a poinsettia plant and let out an inadvertent sigh of relief when he saw the fruit cake display in front of him.

Will shoved the list in his pocket and chose a fruit cake from the top of the pile. He tucked it under his arm and turned to make his way toward the dairy section. The cake started to slip out of grasp, so he quickly made a futile attempt to keep it from plummeting to the tiled floor.

Unfortunately, Will had underestimated his own reflexes. The cardboard box collided with the tile, and he sighed in dismay as he bent down to examine it for any scratches or tears.

Out of nowhere, Will saw a shadow appear over the box

"Here, let me help you with that."

Will's eyes drifted upwards to the source of the voice.

His eyes widened when he saw the familiar auburn hair, the hazel eyes, the delicately upturned mouth...

"Emma?" he breathed.

"Will?" she exclaimed. Emma threw her arms around Will's shoulders and then quickly pulled back in embarrassment.

"It's been so long, Emma," Will said softly. He pulled back and studied her face for a moment, noting that her eyes were shining with a new, unnamed emotion that he couldn't quite place.

If he had to pick a name for it, he would have chosen regret.

"Yeah, it has, Will! What have to you been up to?" she asked quickly, push a strand of hair behind her ear as she forced the sadness from her eyes and offered him a tiny smile.

"Not much. Just the typical Christmas stuff, you know, rushing around, getting some last minute shopping done. What about you?" he said as he returned the smile.

"Oh! Oh, me too. I mean, I'm just doing some last minute shopping too. Carl's aunt just moved to Perry Township, so we're visiting her for Christmas Eve," Emma explained. She shifted her weight and pulled her shopping basket closer to her.

"I'm visiting my family for Christmas Eve, too. We're going to be over in Kenton," Will said quickly.

"That explains the fruit cake," he added with feigned disgust.

Emma chuckled and pointed at her own shopping basket.

"I'd never eat any of this stuff, either," she said with a grin.

They stood in silence for a moment as a steady stream of shoppers flowed around them on both sides.

"So," Will began.

"Um, I guess I should get going," Emma said suddenly.

"Emma, wait," Will said. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked directly into her eyes.

"It's been almost three years, Emma. Do you want to catch up for a little while? We can look for a little coffee shop or something, unless you have to get back home," Will said with a hint of optimism in his voice.

Emma cleared her throat and let her eyes drop for a moment.

"Well, I did say that I would be back by six or so. I have some time, but Will-," she began.

He held up a hand in protest.

"It's okay, Emma. Fruit cake and egg nog can wait. I never thought I'd see you again," he said softly.

"Me either," she said, and Will didn't see the tears sparkling in her eyes.

They each purchased their non-perishable items and vowed to return to the store for the juice and egg nog after they visited the coffee shop down the road.

When they stepped out into the cold, Will had to resist the urge to put a protective arm around Emma's shoulders as she shivered.

Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced across the parking lot at the coffee shop.

"I think they're still open," he said, motioning towards the store.

Emma nodded as she clutched her shopping bag tightly and stepped out onto the treacherous blacktop.

"Do you want me to drive us over?" Will offered. Emma smiled as she shook her head.

"No, it's OK," she murmured.

Will noticed the way that the afternoon light was falling on her head, and he wanted to say that it made it look like she had a halo. He bit his tongue and turned away quickly as they made their way across the icy blacktop.

When they reached the coffee shop, Will stepped forward and held the door open for Emma. She smiled at the display and held his gaze for just a little too long.

Emma flushed and quickly stepped inside. She was greeted with the scent of coffee, pine needles, and cinnamon. The shop was rather small, but it was quaint and decorated with small, scattered touches of Christmas, from the pine boughs on the fireplace mantle to the red bows on the door.

"Do you want to sit by the window?" Will asked.

"Sure," Emma said softly.

They sat in silence for a while before Will stood and went to order their coffee.

He returned with hot chocolate for himself and black coffee for Emma.

"So, how are things going with you?" Will began.

"Good, good. I mean, I'm really doing what I used to do, but now I'm in Michigan, so I guess it's different," Emma said hurriedly. She spun the coffee cup in slow, counterclockwise circles, absentmindedly studying its orbit around the table.

Emma lifted her eyes and met Will's gaze.

She felt her cheeks redden at the intensity of his stare. Emma shifted uncomfortably in her seat and cleared her throat.

"How have you been, Will?" she managed.

"I've been fine. I mean, I'm doing the same thing I've done for the past few Christmases. It's always nice to be around family and friends, but there's almost this loneliness around Christmas time, " he admitted quietly.

"What- what kind of loneliness?" Emma asked carefully.

"Well, when I was married to Terri, I used to have someone to go home to, even if we didn't always get along. Then when I met you-," he paused.

"Will, you don't have to," Emma said.

"No, Emma. I want to say this. When I met you, I had this sense of hope, like I had another chance at happiness. I held on to it for so long, even after you married Carl," he said softly.

Emma's eyes widened at his admission. She chewed on her lower lip and turned her head away from Will for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Will. I know that I hurt you, but I was happy with Carl," Emma said. She pushed a stray strand of auburn hair behind her ear and took a sip of her coffee.

"Are you still happy?" Will asked.

Emma's mouth fell open a little.

"I- I am happy, Will, but you're right," she admitted.

"Right about what?" he asked in a soft voice, close to a whisper.

"I always wanted us to be something more than just friends. I pictured myself spending the holidays with you, even after I married Carl," she said. Emma could feel tears filling her eyes, and she willed them not to fall.

"Emma, it's ok. You're married now. I don't want to take away what you and Carl have," Will said gently. He placed his hand over Emma's and squeezed it gently.

"I couldn't do that to Carl, either," she said in a tiny voice.

"We shouldn't live in regret, Emma. We can still have something special. We were always friends, even when we were seeing other people. You know, Michigan isn't really that far," he said with a small smile.

"That would be nice," Emma said as she returned the smile.

Will noticed that he was nearly done with his hot chocolate, and Emma's coffee was almost gone as well.

The sun was sinking lower in the west, and dusk was beginning to color the edges of the sky.

"I think we should head out, Emma," Will suggested gently.

Emma nodded. She stood up and grinned when Will offered to help her put on her coat.

"I'm going to go back to the supermarket to pick up the eggnog. Did you want to come with me? he asked suddenly.

"No, I think I'm going to go to the little mini mart down the road from Carl's aunt's house," Emma said.

An icy wind whipped through the parking lot, sending a fine spray of sparkling, powdery snow towards Will and Emma.

Emma pulled her coat tighter and shivered.

"Let's get you to your car then," Will said warmly. He put an arm around Emma and guided her towards her car.

When they finally reached her Accord, Emma turned to look at Will.

"It was nice to see you again, Will," she murmured.

Will noticed that she was blinking rapidly, but he wasn't sure if it was due to the weather or unshed tears.

"It doesn't have to be the last time, Emma. We both have a few days off. We should do something," he said with a smile.

"Will, I would love to, but I can't-," she faltered.

"Emma, it's okay. If you don't feel comfortable, that's fine. I'll give you my number. You can always call me if you want to get some coffee again," Will said.

He pulled the wrinkled shopping list from his pocket and tore off a small piece of paper. He fished out an old PNC pen from his other pocket and quickly scribbled down his cell phone number.

"Thanks, Will. It was nice to see you again," Emma said lightly. She took the piece of paper and shoved it into her coat pocket.

"I hope we can get together soon, Emma," Will said.

"Good-bye, Will," Emma whispered. There was an edge of wistfulness to her voice.

She turned to leave and hesitated for a moment.

Emma quickly wrapped her arms around Will in a brief, heartfelt hug. He returned the gesture and paused for a moment before letting go of her.

"Good-bye, Emma," he said softly.

Emma flashed a quick smile and climbed into her Accord.

As she backed up the car and pulled away, Will was suddenly aware of the overpowering silence of the parking lot at dusk.

He exhaled quietly and turned to go back to his own car without purchasing the long-forgotten eggnog.

_Epilogue_

Hours later, Will and his family members were sitting in front of the fireplace at his parents' home.

A comfortable lull had settled over the house. The logs crackled and popped on the fire, and the radio was playing Judy Garland's version of "Merry Little Christmas".

Will felt his cellphone buzzing in his pocket. He fished it out and glanced up at his parents.

"Do you mind if I check my phone?" he asked.

"No, go ahead, dear," his mother said as she patted his knee.

Will stood up and walked out into the hallway as he flipped open his phone and opened the unread text message.

Will felt himself smiling broadly as he read the five words that would make his entire evening.

_So, how about that coffee?_

End


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